The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) today appointed Ms Fiona de Jong as its new Secretary General assuming the role of chief administrative and financial officer.
Ms de Jong, a lawyer, has been with the AOC for ten years in the role of Director of Sport.
She replaces Craig Phillips who resigned as Secretary General in June after twenty three years of service at the AOC. She becomes the first woman appointed to this role in the history of the AOC.
"I thank John Coates and the AOC Executive for their trust and support and I will relish this new challenge" de Jong said. "I’ve always been passionate about sport and I have a huge desire to advance the AOC and the Olympic Movement. I can’t wait to get back to work" she said.
Ms de Jong is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her first child, Alessandro. She will commence in her new role on 7 October 2014.
"Our organisation is very focused on succession planning and after ten years operational experience with the AOC Fiona is totally prepared to assume the role of Secretary General" AOC President John Coates said.
"Fiona has developed a close working relationship with our member sports, she understands perfectly their needs and she will continue to forge stronger ties with the sports and our other key stakeholders in her new role" Coates said.
During her time at the AOC de Jong, an astute lawyer, has assumed much of the AOC’s legal work particularly around Team Agreements, its many by-laws, selection disputes and anti-doping matters.
In 2013 she graduated from the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
A former international triathlete, she is driven and balances the pressures of work, her sport and homelife with ease. "I thrive on the challenges and the deadlines and I still find time to train and devote time to my family" she said.
"I can’t wait to get involved with the planning for Rio 2016 and work with Kitty Chiller, the Chef de Mission and her Team" she said.
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